I’ve only had one Granite Belt winery Rosso so far – the Boireann Rosso, although I have had a few vintages from that winery. That Rosso, similar to this one, is a blend of Barbera and Nebbiolo. Peter Stark said it’s his way of making a Nebbiolo approachable early and in his enigmatic style he wrote a tasting note the main thrust of which was, “I could drink gallons of this”.
So what of La Petite Mort? Well I can’t say I had that experience even though expectations were high. There’s just a little French in my distant lineage lurking underneath the Aussie then Celt then English but apparently not enough for La Petite Mort, I guess that has it’s benefits and drawbacks! For me the experience of drinking this wine was one of enlivenment rather than a little death. So I’ve decided to relabel my bottle as L’Elixir Magnifique.
So what of the wine itself? The colour is a deep raspberry red fading to light raspberries at the edges. The bouquet holds a lot of interest as it opens up and greets you in a welcome usually reserved for close friends, I think we have met before somewhere? There are strawberries, raspberries and red/pink roses with violets, some fennel spice, earthy wafts, some cherry cola, a little caramel/malty thing happening, some tar. and a little smokiness – such a redolent wine! This light bodied wine harbours a genuine complexity in its depths the fruits are raspberries, strawberries, black sour cherries and some succulent candied fruit. The Nebbiolo tannins have been toned down by the Barbera which is typically low in tannins but they are still there just enough to produce a light drying pucker way after you swallow, acid is still a little fresh but you can often expect that in young Granite Belt wines. That oh so enjoyable Granite Belt mineral character runs in an uninterrupted line beneath the fruit and other components. Some fennel/aniseed spice is evident and the length of the wine is excellent. I’m always amazed how a lighter style wine can contain such enormous complexity but I suspect that is a conditioning from consuming too much Barossa/McLaren Vale shiraz in my youth, not that there is anything wrong with our southern wines as Australian wines offer up so much delightful differences.
I think that this 2019 vintage wine has achieved the goal of making a Nebbiolo approachable early but it will be better after a little sleep. I’d give it one or two years before cracking another.
Tasted: Thursday 4th June, 2020 without food and then with over several hours.
Alcohol: 13.3%
Closure: Diam under wax capsule
Price: $35
Suggested Drinking Window: now to 2030
Winemaker: Glen Robert and Andrew Scott
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